Jo Kyung-hwan, a TV actor who was famous for his role as a “Tiger Teacher” in a popular teen drama in the 1980s, died of liver cancer on Sunday morning. He was 67.

The bereaved family said that he died at home after being diagnosed with terminal cancer in August.

Jo made his television debut in 1969 with the Munhwa Broadcasting Corp. (MBC), one of the nation’s three major broadcasters. He became popular in the 1970s in the role of Detective Cho in a classic police drama, “Chief Detective,” that was aired until 1989.

He also played the “Tiger Teacher,” a stubborn elementary school teacher with a warm heart for his students, in a teen drama named after his role. Jo was named the best actor in 1981 at MBC’s annual drama awards.

The actor also featured in other popular TV series, including “Heo Jun” (1999-2000), as well as “Daejanggeum” (2003-2004) that attracted worldwide viewers.

He is survived by his wife and daughter.
His funeral service will take place at 8:30 a.m. Tuesday at the Samsung Medical Center in southern Seoul.